Category Archives: Japan

レシピ, Bistro, Cafes, 美食, Dessert, Desserts, 観光, 農業, Fruit, Gastronomes, Gastronomy, Japan, Japanese Gastronomy, Recipes, Restaurants, Shizuoka, Shizuoka agricultural products, Shizuoka Cuisine, Tourism

French Dessert: Organic Apple Creme Brulee at Patina in Shizuoka City!

December 16, 2012 dragonlife 2 Comments

Service: Very friendly and smiling
Facilities: Very clean. Beautiful washroom.
Prices: Reasonable
Strong points: A true cafe where to relax and enjoy a good light meal any time of the day. Interesting and reasonable wine and cider list.

Anyone with a sweet tooth do like its dessert but will enjoy them all the more when they are made with local products!

Today at Patina Cafe & Brasserie in Aoi Ku, Shizuoka City, I noticed an intriguing dessert on the menu of the day as I was ordering my usual cappucino!

Seasonal Creme brulee made with Kougyoku apples. Kougyoku/紅玉/Ruby apples are a Japanese variety renown for it red skin and sweet and sour balance in taste!

Now, let’s have a look at what’s inside that cute little pot!

That certainly beautiful and appetizing!

I just couldn’t wait to break that crispy layer of caramel!

But one thing at a time!
I first tasted a compote of the same apples.
Incidental these kougyoku/ruby apples are organically grown in Shizuoka Prefecture!
Their slightly tangy taste perfectly marries with the custard and caramel sauce!

Interestingly one the spoon had broken the caramel layer it didn’t sink into a soft liquid but cut through a cream with the perfect consistence, both soft and firm which allowed for a slow and delicious savoring of the cream together with a piece of the caramel!

The fact that the apples were first mashed before being incorporated to the cream explains the ability to spoon it without anything breaking or spilling away in spite of the very soft cream!

A little jewel!

PATINA, Café & Brasserie
Shizuoka City, Aoi Ku, Tenmacho, 17-9
Tel.: 054-266-9500
Opening hours: 11:00=22:00 (last orders, 21:30
10:00~21:00 on Sundays (last orders, 20:30)
Closed on Tuesdays

BLOG (Japanese)
Non-smoking until 15:00
Credit Cards OK

RECOMMENDED RELATED WEBSITES

Kraemer’s Culinary blog by Frank Kraemer in New York,Tokyo Food File by Robbie Swinnerton, Green Tea Club by Satoshi Nihonyanagi in Shizuoka!, Mind Some by Tina in Taiwan, Le Manger by Camille Oger (French), The Indian Tourist, Masala Herb by Helene Dsouza in Goa, India, Mummy I Can Cook! by Shu Han in London, Pierre.Cuisine, Francescannotwrite, My White Kitchen, Foodhoe, Chucks Eats, Things that Fizz & Stuff, Five Euro Food by Charles,Red Shallot Kitchen by Priscilla,With a Glass, Nami | Just One Cookbook, Peach Farm Studio, Clumsyfingers by Xethia, PepperBento, Hapabento, Kitchen Cow, Lunch In A Box, Susan at Arkonlite, Vegan Lunch Box; Tokyo Tom Baker, Daily Food Porn/Osaka, Only Nature Food Porn, Happy Little Bento, J-Mama’s Kitchen, Cook, Eat, Play, Repeat, Bento Lunch Blog (German), Adventures In Bento, Anna The Red’s Bento Factory, Ohayo Bento,

Must-see tasting websites:

-Sake: Tokyo Through The Drinking Glass, Tokyo Foodcast, Urban Sake, Sake World
-Wine: Palate To Pen, Warren Bobrow, Cellar Tours, Ancient Fire Wines Blog
-Beer: Good Beer & Country Boys, Another Pint, Please!, Beering In Good Mind: All about Craft Beer in kanzai by Nevitt Reagan!
-Japanese Pottery to enjoy your favourite drinks: Yellin Yakimono Gallery

Non gastronomy must-see sites by Shizuoka Residents

HIGHOCTANE/HAIOKU by Nick Itoh in Shizuoka City

レシピ, 美食, 観光, 魚, 魚海の幸, Fish, Gastronomes, Gastronomy, Japan, Japanese Gastronomy, Recipes, Restaurants, Shizuoka, Shizuoka Cuisine, Tourism

French Gastronomy: Mackerel Appetizer at Pissenlit in Shizuoka City!

December 16, 2012 dragonlife Leave a comment

Service: Excellent and very friendly.
Facilities: Great cleanliness overall. Superb washroom (mouthwash and toothpicks provided!)!
Prices: Reasonable to slightly expensive, very good value.
Strong points: Interesting wine list. Great use of local products, especially organic vegetables and Shizuoka-bred meat.

Chef Toru Arima/有馬亨さん at Pissenlit French Restaurant in Aoi Ku, Shizuoka City, is one of the most active chefs in our Prefecture when it comes to promote local products be they vegetables, fruit, meat or fish!

The other day I went on my regular pilgrimage there for lunch and had a long good look at the menu while other customers wondered why that strange foreigner stood so long in front of it….

Lunch on week day means no alcohol…. Non-alcohol home-made ginger ale it was then!

Real torture to sit besides those nectars…!

I did have quite a copious lunch and I thought it would be better to introduce each dish in a separate article.
So, what did I Have a s a first appetizer?

Saba/鯖/Mackerel from Kogawa Harbor in Yaizu City, a city classified as a major fishing harbor in Japan (You will find Yaizu City between Shizuoka City and Fujieda City)!

The mackerel had been lightly marinated as a kind of a half raw preparation and simply laid above a few cubes of apples for a great marriage between saltiness and sweetness!

The decoration is very much Japanese and also Shizuoka as the shiso/perilla flowers and menegi/leek sprouts are organically grown in Shizuoka Prefecture!
The flowers are edible and these vegetables make for a great finishing touch not only in presentation but also so much in a perfectly balanced superlative taste!

Extravagant simplicity!

Second appetizer coming next!

PISSENLIT
420-0839 Shizuoka City, Aoi Ku, Takajo, 2-3-4
Tel.: 054-270-8768
Fax: 054-627-3868
Business hours: 11:30~14:30; 17:00~22:00
Closed on Tuesdays and Sunday evening
HOMEPAGE (Japanese)
Credit Cards OK
Entirely non-smoking!

RECOMMENDED RELATED WEBSITES

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Non gastronomy must-see sites by Shizuoka Residents

HIGHOCTANE/HAIOKU by Nick Itoh in Shizuoka City

美食, Drinks, 酒, 観光, 農業, Gastronomes, Gastronomy, Japan, Japanese Gastronomy, sake, Sake Brewery, Shizuoka, Shizuoka agricultural products, Shizuoka Cuisine, Tourism

Shizuoka Sake: “Homare Fuji” Sake Rice Actively Promoted Locally and Nationally!

December 16, 2012 dragonlife Leave a comment

Courtesy of Shizuoka Shinbun

Shizuoka sake brewed with Homare Fuji Rice being tasted at “Shizuoka Green Tea Plaza, Tokyo Prefectural Tokyo Tourism Office in Yuraku-Cho, Tokyo.

On the 13th of December no less than 20 Shizuoka Breweries, including internationally famous Doi (Kaiun) and Hatsukame Breweries, organised a tasting feast in Tokyo at the “Shizuoka Green Tea Plaza, Tokyo Prefectural Tokyo Tourism Office in Yuraku-Cho, to actively promote sake made exclusively with Homare Fuji Sake Rice first developped and grown in Shizuoka Prefecture, a feat noteworthy for its uniqueness in the very traditional world of sake brewing in Japan!

Courtesy of Shizuoka Shinbun.

On the Prefectural scene many breweries are active promoting sake made with Homare Fuji rice such as Kanzawagawa Brewery (Shosetsu) which has been organizes brewery viewing and sake seminars since 2005 on a regular basis! This year no less than 49 sake lovers participated to the latest seminar! Knowing the brewery well, the establishment must have been really crowded!

At least the future of Japanese sake is quite rosy here in Shizuoka Prefecture!

RECOMMENDED RELATED WEBSITES

Must-see tasting websites:

Non gastronomy must-see sites by Shizuoka Residents

HIGHOCTANE/HAIOKU by Nick Itoh in Shizuoka City

美食, Drinks, 酒, 観光, 農業, Gastronomes, Gastronomy, Japan, Japanese Gastronomy, sake, Sake Brewery, Shizuoka, Shizuoka agricultural products, Shizuoka City, Tourism

Shizuoka Sake: A New” Brewery Born: Hiraki Shizuoka Brewery!

December 15, 2012 dragonlife Leave a comment

Courtesy of Shizuoka Shinbun,

A”New” sake brewery is born in Shizuoka City!

Why “New” then?

Actually, by Japanese law you cannot/may not obtain a new brewery license. The only way to create/establish a new brewery is to acquire the license from a brewery which has decided to cease business before they give their license back to the government. In fact such a license can be kept indefinitely although the Tax & Excise Bureau do all it can to get it back as soon as possible. Strangely enough, such a rule applies only to sake breweries, brewers and owners…

Hiraki Company in Shizuoka City, a company with roots back in Edo Period, the biggest distributor of large spirits and drinks companies in Shizuoka Prefecture had momentarily moved from Kakegawa City in Shizuoka Prefecture to Okayama Prefecture in 1956 to acquire Hiraki Brewery while the law permitted it. They consequently moved back to Shizuoka City in 1967 to expand their business as the local distributor for big corporate companies producing drinks and spirits. Naturally, they sold their sake brand called Kihei (and still do. “Kihei” actually is the inverted name of “Hiraki”!) in Shizuoka Prefecture and were also very active in offering contracts between the local sake breweries and the big companies in Nada (Kobe area) to produce sake to the latter according to their requirements.

According to them they decided to produce sake again in Shizuoka Prefecture after a 45-year lapse (I think dates are manipulated there, but who am I to say?) after the new sake rice brand, namely “Homare Fuji” was recognized as such by the Shizuoka Prefecture and the Ministry of Agricultre and Forestry.
In 2009 they applied to the Japanese Tax & Excise Bureau after acquiring the license of Sogatsuru Brewery in Kakegawa City which had kept it (they had actually lent it to Hagi No Kura Brewery, presently Suruga Brewery for a while) ever since they stopped all activities more than 10 years ago.
Although you are not supposed to buy it, but just acquire it, I know from reliable sources that Hiraki Company obtained the license for 30,000,000 yen….

On the 1st of November 2012 they obtained permission from the Tax & excise Bureau and starting making sake end of November. They have moreover announced they are brewing real “Shizuoka sake” (although they have admitted they will also produce sake from other brands of sake rice from other Prefectures) with Shizuoka-grown Hoamre Fuji rice, Shizuoka yeast and Shizuoka water from the Abe River basin.

They have officially become members of The Shizuoka Prefecture Brewers Association and their sake will be on display at the next Shizuoka Sake Tasting Fair in March.
I was assured by the Shizuoka Prefecture Brewers Association that they were serious and did not plan to use their new brewery to facilitate sales of their Okayama Brewery sake…

Time will tell…

RECOMMENDED RELATED WEBSITES

Must-see tasting websites:

Non gastronomy must-see sites by Shizuoka Residents

HIGHOCTANE/HAIOKU by Nick Itoh in Shizuoka City

美食, 魚海の幸, Japan, Japanese Gastronomy, Shellfish, Shizuoka, Shizuoka City, Shizuoka Cuisine

Marine life & Food Stock Preservation: Farm-bred Abalones to be put on the Market soon!

December 14, 2012 dragonlife 2 Comments

Courtesy of Shizuoka Shinbun. December 14th, 2012.

Abalones/awabi/鮑 is another seafood delicacy that has been endangered in Japan and in many other areas worldwide.
The Japanese have been working hard for some years now to farm breed abalones not only to preserve and increase the natural stocks but also to have them grow faster and bring their cost down.

Shizuoka Prefecture and the Tokai Marine Studies University in Shimizu Ku, Shizuoka City have succeeded in raising abalones in tanks away from the sea in association with the Shizuoka Chamber of Commerce and the abalones will appear for the first time in local markets and restaurants next January!

Because an ideal temperature of 18 degrees Celsius can be maintained all year round in tanls, the abalones achieve a constant and consequently faster growth.
The project was initiated in 2005 and have at last brought to fruition for the pleasure of seafood lovers who will know that they are not depleting the seas any longer!

RECOMMENDED RELATED WEBSITES

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Non gastronomy must-see sites by Shizuoka Residents

HIGHOCTANE/HAIOKU by Nick Itoh in Shizuoka City

Bluefin Tuna, 美食, 魚, Fish, Gastronomes, Gastronomy, Japan, Japanese Gastronomy, tuna

Tuna Stocks Preservation: Farm-bred Bluefin Tuna released in The Pacific Ocean!

December 14, 2012 dragonlife Leave a comment

Courtesy of Shizuoka Shinbun, December 14th, 2012

The Japanese, in spite of their being reviled for eating tuna, especially bluefin tuna, have been ever so busy experimenting and farming bluefin tuna in three locations, Kinki University, Shimizu Marine Studies University and in Kyushu Island.
Not only have they succeeded in raising the bluefin tuna from the eggs, but they have bred them to a sufficient weight to release them in The Pacific Ocean to find out if the repopulating of fish stocks in the ocean could be effectively done in a two-stage process from farms to the seas!

Kinki University had released 1,800 young fish in Wakayama Prefecture in October.
In December 8 of them have been caught between Shizuoka and Wakayama Prefectures and brought back to Kinki University for further study.

Since the experiment started in 2002 it has been confirmed for the first time that bluefin tuna farm bred from the egg could be safely released into a natural environment, namely the Pacific Ocean!

It just shows that Japan has been showing more responsibility towards restocking endangered species than many countries which criticized them without doing anything to redress the situation!

RECOMMENDED RELATED WEBSITES

Must-see tasting websites:

Non gastronomy must-see sites by Shizuoka Residents

HIGHOCTANE/HAIOKU by Nick Itoh in Shizuoka City

Bars, Beer, Beer Brewery, 美食, Drinks, 酒, 観光, 農業, Gastronomes, Gastronomy, Japan, Japanese Gastronomy, Numazu City, Shizuoka, Shizuoka agricultural products, Tourism

Bryan Baird’s Newsletter (2012/12/13): Seasonal Release: Brewmaster’s Nightmare Rye IPA

December 13, 2012 dragonlife Leave a comment

Baird Beer & Taproom Events Bulletin

Seasonal Release: Brewmaster’s Nightmare Rye IPA

Dear Taproom Friend & Baird Beer Enthusiast:

Craft beer enthusiasts, including us, have a love affair with the hop. It’s character, be it fruity or floral, spicy or herbal, provides good beer its panache. India Pale Ale, of course, is the beer style that reigns in the kingdom of hops. Today, with the craft beer renaissance in full swing, there exist myriad takes on and interpretations of an IPA. We are happy to announce the release of one such Baird version: Brewmaster’s Nightmare Rye IPA.

New Seasonal Beer Releases:
*Brewmaster’s Nightmare Rye IPA 2012 (ABV 6.7%):

We love the flavor of rye malt in beer. It lends a spicy, dry character that we find especially pleasing when combined with large doses of piquantly bitter and pungently aromatic hops. The problem with using significant portions of rye malt in the mash is that it tends to make the wort more viscous and gummy, thus rendering lautering (separation of liquid wort from particle grain material) slow and difficult. This year, in an act of prudence trumping bravado, we dialed down the additions of rye malt to the mash from a nightmarish 50% of the grist last year to a more reasonable 25%. Sure enough, the lauter time was cut back to a more traditional 90 minutes or so, compared with 5 hours previous. We ended our brewer’s nightmare while still preserving the dream flavor combination of peppery rye malt and fruit-forward hops.

This year’s hop bill consists of an all-star lineup of five U.S. varieties (Columbus, Summit, Simcoe, Santiam, Glacier) added in multiple dosings to the kettle boil, the whirlpool, and, but of course, to the conditioning tank for two rounds of dry-hopping. Do you like hops? Do you fancy yourself an IPA drinker? Merry Christmas!

Brewmaster’s Nightmare Rye IPA begins pouring at our Taproom pubs today (Thursday, December 13), and is available for immediate shipment to craft beer retailing pubs, restaurants and sakaya throughout Japan.

Cheers,

Bryan Baird

Baird Brewing Company
Numazu, Japan
HOMEPAGE

RECOMMENDED RELATED WEBSITES

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Non gastronomy must-see sites by Shizuoka Residents

HIGHOCTANE/HAIOKU by Nick Itoh in Shizuoka City

美食, 酒, 観光, 農業, Gastronomes, Gastronomy, Japan, Japanese Gastronomy, sake, Sake Brewery, Shizuoka, Shizuoka Cuisine, Tourism

Shizuoka Sake Tasting: Shidaizumi Brewery-“Midoshi” Honjozo

December 12, 2012 dragonlife Leave a comment

Shidaizumi Brewery in Fujieda City holds this great tradtion to @roduce a honjozo with a beautiful label every year for the coming Japanese New Year!
Next year will be the year of the Serpent (Snake), that is Midshi/巳歳 in Japanese as you can see on the label!

Rice milled down to 60 %
Alcohol: 15~16 degrees
Bottled in December 2012

Clarity: Very clear
Color: Faint golden hue
Aroma: Fruity, slightly sirupy
Taste: Dry and very fruity attack.
Alcohol pleasantly warming up back of the palate.
Lots of nuts including almonds and macadamia nuts. Banan.
Lingers only for a little while with a very pleasant aftermath.
Drinks easily and insistently calls for the “next cup”.
Take a drier turn with food with strong hints of coffee beans.
Makes a quick comeback to fruity, almost sweetish attack back with plenty of nuts and stronger banana once away from food.

Overall: A sake designed to be enjoyed at length. Although obviously conceived to accompany food, I enjoyed it best slightly chilled on its own. Would make for a great nightcap! Or even an afternoon drink in summer in spite of its being designed for the cold weather at the turn of the year.
Personally I would be very willing to drink it with very strong cheese!
On the Japanese Gastronomic theater it perfectly marries with o-shinko/pickles and heavy izakaya cuisine!

RECOMMENDED RELATED WEBSITES

Must-see tasting websites:

Non gastronomy must-see sites by Shizuoka Residents

HIGHOCTANE/HAIOKU by Nick Itoh in Shizuoka City

レシピ, Curry, 美食, 観光, 農業, Food, Gastronomes, Gastronomy, Japan, Japanese Gastronomy, Recipes, Restaurants, Shizuoka, Shizuoka agricultural products, Shizuoka Cuisine, Tourism

Japanese-style Curry in Shizuoka City: Two more at Kohaku!

December 12, 2012 dragonlife Leave a comment

Service: Very friendly and welcoming. Great explanations.
Facilities & Equipment: Very clean and great washroom
Prices: Appropriate
Strong points: Traditional and modern izakaya gastronomy. Very inventive cuisine with introduction of some Western concepts. Great seafood. Great sake list. Wine and other alcohols available. Intensive use of local products combined with ingredients from other prefectures! Curry Lunch Sets!

The Missus had badgering me about Kohaku for some time after reading some of my reports arguing it was just not fair that I kept such places secret (which I don’t, but try to argue with a lady…)!
Well, last Monday I took her to Kohaku in Aoi Ku, Shizuoka City, to sample the delicious, generous and extremely-reasonably priced (by Japanese standards) lunches!

Takashi Kawauguchi/川口貴士さん works on his own at lunch, meaning slow food in all the better meanings!

Very reasonably priced when you consider the generous portions.
I did have to help the Missus finish her lunch!
Now, what did we have?

The Missus had the Vegetable curry lunch set with tonkatsu as extra topping!

Succulent rendition of a Japanese classic!

As for me I had the pork kakuni/square-shaped stewed pork Curry lunch set with an extra kakuni topping and a side plate of deep-fried vegetables!

Kakuni, another Japanese classic!

Plenty of chopped vegetables to combine with the rice!

Deep-fried vegetables including kabocha, sato imo/taro root, shiitake, manganji pepper and sweet potato!

Last, some crunchy and yummy home-made o-shinko/pickles!

As we have planned a dinner there together soon, expect another report!

KOHAKU/旬彩こはく

420-0085 Shizuoka Shi, Aoi Ku, Shichiken-Cho, 18-1, PIVOT Shizuoka, 1F
Tel.: 054-221-0589
Opening hours: 11:30~14:30, 17:00~23:00
Closed on 2nd or 3rd sunday of the month

RECOMMENDED RELATED WEBSITES

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Non gastronomy must-see sites by Shizuoka Residents

HIGHOCTANE/HAIOKU by Nick Itoh in Shizuoka City

レシピ, 美食, 観光, Fish, Food, Gastronomes, Gastronomy, Japan, Japanese Gastronomy, Recipes, seafood, Shizuoka, Shizuoka Cuisine, sushi, Sushi bars, Sushi restaurants., Tourism, 寿司

Sushi Design by Chef Kenta Birukawa at Sushi Ko in Shizuoka City: The Other Tidbits!

December 11, 2012 dragonlife Leave a comment

Service: Pro and very friendly
Facilities: Very clean. Excellent toilets
Prices: Reasonable
Strong points: Great variety of seafood from Shizuoka Prefecture and the rest of Japan. Great list of sake and shochu

Following the two previous blogs on Sushi Gunkan Feast and Sushi Charlotte here are the other tidbits we enjoyed thanks to Chef Kenta Birukawa/尾留川健太さん!

Beautiful kawahagi/カワハギ/Thread-sail filefish or Leater Jacket alive in the tank!
For next time, though!

An extravagant plate you will find only in Shizuoka (I mean the combination of the two!): Sayori/細魚/Japanese Halbeak and sakuraebi/桜海老/Cherry Shrimps!

The sayori! In full season, now! tender and sweet and so beautiful!

How about that for design!

I asked for the fish bones and head to be deep-fried!
Not usually done, but the Chef is a friend!
Crispy and yummy!

The cherry shrimps served with freshly grated ginger!
Note that in the gunkan they had been “straightened”. here they are in their natural appearance!

Hirame/平目/Sole-Flounder sushi nigiri seasoned with a little salt and yuzu. No need for soy sauce!

Grilled/seared oysters!

Cute cucumber!

New menu on that day: 3 fish “zuke” set!
Each fish was marinated in soy sauce and sake!
From left to right: Katsuo/鰹/bonito, Shake/鮭/Sea salmon and maguro/鮪/Tuna!

Sushi for Christmas/
Ikura/イクラ/Salmon’s roe gunkan sushi nigiri with mini Syake/鮭/Salmon rolls!

To be continued….

SUSHI KO
420-0032 Shizuoka City, Aoi Ku, Ryogae-cho, 2-3-1 (Aoba Park Street)
Tel.: 054-251-9701
Business Hours： 17:00~25:00. 17:00~23:00 （Sundays）
Closed on Wednesdays
Reservations recommended
Credit cards OK
HOMEPAGE (in Japanese)
Smoking allowed. Private room can be arranged for non-smoking (4 people)

RECOMMENDED RELATED WEBSITES

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HIGHOCTANE/HAIOKU by Nick Itoh in Shizuoka City

観光, Fashion, Fashionistas, Japan, Japanese Culture, Tourism

Japanese Ladies Fashion in Shizuoka 50: How To Stay Warm and Elegant in Shizuoka City!

December 11, 2012 dragonlife Leave a comment

just walked past Floraison Fashion Shop in Aoi Ku, Shizuoka City yesterday and noticed a new mannequin in the front window!

Can you see it?

That’s the one!
It certainly looked elegant but also very comfortable. I just had to investigate!

Here we are: Front first!

Next back!
Now, let me describe the whole apparel!

Cardigan by ILIAN LOEB (Japanese designer) in Alpaca, Nylon and wool.
Long enough to use as a one- piece together with a long white shirt/blouse by Frank & Eileen (US designer) made of cotton.
Wearing black thick tights means you do not have tp wear anything and be able to show your nice legs even in winter!

Beautiful light but warm and comfortable stole by MUVEIL (Japanese designer) made of wool!

Long leather boots by Lepepe (Italian designer)!

For a view of the zipper.
Note the low heels for easy walking!

Imaizumi Co. Ltd.
Shizuoka Shi, Aoi Ku, Ryogae-cho, 1-6-14 (behind Isetan Department Store)
Tel.: 054-271-8945
Business hours: 11:00~20:00
HOMEPAGE (Japanese)
BLOG (Japanese)

RECOMMENDED RELATED WEBSITES

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Non gastronomy must-see sites by Shizuoka Residents

HIGHOCTANE/HAIOKU by Nick Itoh in Shizuoka City

美食, Drinks, 酒, 観光, 農業, Food, Japan, Japanese Gastronomy, sake, Sake Brewery, Shizuoka, Shizuoka agricultural products, Shizuoka Cuisine, Tourism

Shizuoka Sake Tasting: Senju Brewery-Senju Junmai Ginjyo Genshu Shiboritate

December 11, 2012 dragonlife Leave a comment

Senju is a small but remarkable brewery in Iwata City, Western Shizuoka Prefecture, and it is not always easy to get their brews here in Shizuoka City, but for fortunately Matsuzakya Department Store has endeavored to make them known recently!

Since I found this junmai ginjo genshu, meaning it went through through no moderation, be it pure water or pure alcohol, I had the occasion to taste the original sake of the brewery!
Moreover, since the rice was grown in Shizuoka Prefecture, it makes for a truly local sake!

Rice: Shizuoka-groen Gohyakumangoku
Rice milled down to 55%
Alcohol: 17~18 degrees
Bottled in November 2012

Clarity: Very clear
Color: Light golden hue
Aroma: Strong and pleasant. Alcohol. Chestnuts. Grilled nuts.
Body: Fluid
Tasting: Very dry attack backed by puissant junmai petillant.
Very pleasant first impression in spite of the high alcohol content warming up the back of the palate.
Complex and fruity. Very difficult to “catch”.
Nutty, dry roasted nuts, yoghurt.
Disappears very quickly on a drier note.
Varies little with food, although tends to take a slight turn to sweetness then.
Very unexpected taste and flavors for a Shizuoka sake.

Overall: An unusual sake for Shizuoka Prefecture, both in approach and taste.
Dry but complex, puissant but elegant, very difficult to catch. Fleetingg, mysterious.
Although macho in approach, will attract ladies in particular for its fleeting character.
Although eminently enjoyable with food it will probably best appreciated on its own slightly chilled.
Could be served as a beautiful aperitif, too!

RECOMMENDED RELATED WEBSITES

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Non gastronomy must-see sites by Shizuoka Residents

HIGHOCTANE/HAIOKU by Nick Itoh in Shizuoka City

レシピ, 美食, 観光, 魚, 魚海の幸, 農業, Fish, Food, Japan, Japanese Gastronomy, Recipes, Shizuoka, Shizuoka agricultural products, Shizuoka Cuisine, sushi, Sushi bars, Sushi restaurants., Tourism, 寿司

Sushi Design by Chef Kenta Birukawa at Sushi Ko in Shizuoka City: Sushi Charlotte!

December 10, 2012 dragonlife Leave a comment

As promised in the report on the gunkan feast here is another example of Chef Kenta Birukawa/尾留川健太さん’s ingenuity which demonstrates why he received an award as best sushi designs from his peers this year!

Actually I had asked him to come up with a new version of his acclaimed sushi Millefeuille and instead created a Charlotte-like sushi cake!

The whole was conceived inside a metal ccircle by lining the inside first with raw salmon and tuna and then filled progressively with sushi rice and other ingredients!
The tail is grilled salmon skin! A crunchy and tasty tidbit of its own!

Once filled Chef Birukawa partly closed the top by fording the fish inside before topping it with other ingredients!

The topping consisted of ikura/salmon roe, thinly sliced cucumber and grilled salmon skin!

It was such a sinful pleasure to open it and find out what was hidden inside!

Perfect balance in taste with avocado and cucumber pieces inside and so healthy!
A cake for the health conscious gastronomes!

“Tidbits” coming soon!

RECOMMENDED RELATED WEBSITES

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Non gastronomy must-see sites by Shizuoka Residents

HIGHOCTANE/HAIOKU by Nick Itoh in Shizuoka City

焼酎, 美食, Drinks, 酒, 観光, 農業, Iwata City, Japan, Japanese Gastronomy, Shizuoka, Shizuoka agricultural products, Shizuoka Cuisine, Shochu, Tourism

Shizuoka Shochu Tasting; Senju Brewery/Distillery-Wa Ran Nadeshiko/Sho-Chu Carnation

December 10, 2012 dragonlife Leave a comment

Senju Brewery in Iwata City is one of the ten sake breweries which also produce shochu in Shizuoka Prefecture.
Their shochu are only of the rice/kome variety but they do come with some rare treats!

This particular shochu is a rare rice shochu limited to one hundred bottles of a shochu which took no less than 8 years to mature!

The bottle with its cute pink squarish glass design is beautiful but the shochu is of the fiery variety at 43 degrees!

But it was certainly worth the 8-year wait!

Rice shochu
Alcohol: 43 degrees
Matured for 8 years. Bottled end of 2012

Clarity: Very clear
Color: Transparent

Aroma: Light and pleasant. Hints of flowers. Alcohol
Body: Fluid
Taste: Strong attack with very pleasant and fine petillant bubbling on the palate.
Very clean and flowery taste..
Strong but elegant.
Complex and difficult to catch. Plays cat and mouse over the palate enticing you to the next sip.
Hints of pears, flowers and apple.
Strong alcohol tends to surprise you more and more sip by sip.

Overall: Very strong but elegant shochu!
Extravagant in concept and maturing.
Best drunk chilled and straight or on the rocks at the very limit. Otherwise you kill the baby by losing many fleeting aspects.
Best appreciated as a (dangerous) nightcap.
For lovers of heady drinks anywhere in the world, be you a lady or gentleman!
And the design of the bottle is so lovely in a twisted square taping tower made of tinted pink glass!

RECOMMENDED RELATED WEBSITES

Must-see tasting websites:

Non gastronomy must-see sites by Shizuoka Residents

HIGHOCTANE/HAIOKU by Nick Itoh in Shizuoka City

レシピ, 美食, 観光, 魚, 魚海の幸, Gastronomes, Gastronomy, Japan, Japanese Gastronomy, Recipes, Shizuoka, Shizuoka Cuisine, sushi, Sushi bars, Sushi restaurants., Tourism

Sushi Design by Chef Kenta Birukawa at Sushi Ko in Shizuoka City: Gunkan Feast!

December 7, 2012 dragonlife 2 Comments

Last night we visited our favorite sushi restaurant in Shizuoka City, Sushi Ko, and have once again challenged Chef Kenta Birukawa/尾留川健太さん into something different!
We just asked off the cuff to produce five dufferent “gunkan/軍艦/”Mothership” sushi nigiri but we attached no conditions to ingredients!
Now, what did he offer us?